Aotea College’s 1st XV have retained the Beard Trophy after a dramatic 36-32 win over Mana College.
The team trailed by 10 points with only minutes left, but finished strongly to claim the hard-fought victory.
Taylah Ford and Kody Kahu crossed for late tries, while first five-eighth Mitchell Potton kicked a sideline conversion to help seal the result.
The win keeps the Beard Trophy with Aotea College ahead of their next challenge against Porirua College on 22 July.
Supporters are being encouraged to head to Jerry Collins Stadium for the match as Aotea look to hold the trophy for the 2026 season.